Artificial bait



March 18 1924. 1,487,556

B. G. GOBLE 1 ARTIFICIAL BAIT Original Filed May 15. 1922 Patented Mar.18, 1924.

UNITED STATES l,48?,556 PATENT OFFICE.

BERT G. GOBLE, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 561,203, filed May 15,1922. This application filed December 12, 1922. Serial No. 606,533.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, BERT G. GOBLE, acitizen of the'United States of America, residing at Tulsa, in thecounty of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented certaln new anduseful Improvements in Artificial Bait, of which the following isaspecification. r

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inartificial bait wherein the same is constructed in form similar to afish and is provided with means rendered operable by the motion of thebait being drawn through the water for causing the same to simulate aswimming motion of a natural fish.

The primary object of the mvention 1s to provide an artificial bait inthe form of a fish with the head and body portion integrally formed andwith the tail portion articulated to or movably mounted with respecttothe rear end of the body portion and rendered operable when the bait 1Sdrawn through water to cause movement of the tail portion in simulatingthe swlmming action of a natural fish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fish bait wherein thetail portion bodily travels in a circuitous path outwardly of the baitbody, the diameter of the path being variable to create the lmpressionof a crippled fish, it being well known that fish are readily attractedto crippled ones for consumption thereof, the dispos1t1on of the tailcreating considerable commotion and rippling when travelling throughwater and increasing its power of attraction.

This application is filed as a continuation in art, in so far as hereinshown and descri ed, of application filed by B. G. Goble on May 15,1922, Serial No. 561,203 and embodies improvements, and an advance inthe art thereover, the basis of this application embodying, what may betermed a whirl tail artificial fish bait, wherein the ta l member ortail portion of the artificial bait body is caused to whirl when in useor to travel through a circuitous path.

With the above general ob ects in wow and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of thenovel form, combination and a-rran ement of parts hereinafter more fullydescri (1, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

bait body to be moved in circuitous In the drawing, wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure 1. is a-side elevational view of an artificial bait constructedin accordance with the present invention showing a propeller blade atthe head end of the bait for operating the whirling tail portion.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section showing the crank throughthe body portion having an angularly bent end extending into the tailportion with the crank ortions of the shaft connected to laterallyisposed fin members, and

Figure?) is a side elevational view of the crank shaft showing the screwpropeller upon one end and the an ularly bent other end that carries thewhirllng tail portion.-

Br1efly described, the present invention aims to provide an artificialbait so constructed that when in use being drawn through water, thesamewill simulate the swimming action of a natural fish to the extent of apeculiar tail movement such as a whirling motion with laterallyprojecting fin members associated with the sides of the athstransversely of the bait body. To 0 tain the whirling action of the tailportion, a propeller blade is located at the head end of the alt, thegist of this invention primarily residing in the mounting of and meansassociated with the tail portion of an artificial ba t to cause awhirling action thereof when being drawn through water. 2

Referring more in detail to the accompanymg drawings, there isillustrated an artificial bait embodying the body 1 having a tailportion 2 articulated thereto in a manner to be later described, anupwardly and forwardly directed arm 3 carried by the body 1 adapted tohave a fishing line conshaft extending nected thereto while de endinghooks 4 are carried by the lower si e of the body.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, a shaft 5 is journaledlongitudinally through the bait body 1, the forward end of the shaft 5projecting beyond the head end of the body andhaving a propeller blade 6rigidl mounted thereon. The rear end of the sha 5 is angularly bent atthe point 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, at the rear end of the baitbody 1, the angularly projecting rear end 7 of the shaft 5 being rigidlyand axially of the bait and mounted in the tail portion 2 as shown inFig. 2.

For convenience in manufacture, the bait body 1 may be formed insections as indicated by the cross-section lines in Fig. 2 to permit theformation of an enlarged socket or compartment 8 in the body portion 1adjaeent the forward end thereof, the opposite side walls of the bodyhaving longitudinally extending slotted openings 9 as shown in Fig. 1that communicate with the compartment 8. The portion'of the shaft 5 thatextends through the compartment 8 is provided with oppositely directedcrank portions 10 upon which the inner ends of the arms 11 carried bythe fin members 12 are pivoted as shown in Fig. 2, the fin members 12extending through the side slotted openings 9 in the side walls of thebait body as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the operation of the device, a fishing line attached to the forwardend of the arm 3 draws the artificial bait through the water, the shaft5ibeing rotated in the bait body 1 by the forwardly positioned propellerblade 6 secured to the shaft. During this movement, the crank portions10 upon the shaft 5 move the fin members 12 inwardly and outwardly ofthe bait body 1, the fin members engaging the opposite walls of theslotted openings 9 forming continuously changing bearing points for thefin members 12 to cause the outer ends thereof to travel in orbital orcircuitous paths simulating the natural swimming action of the side finsof a fish. The angularly bent rear end 7 of the shaft 5 being rigidlysecured centrally of the tail portion 2 will cause a whirling action orbodily movement in a circuitous path of the tail portion imparting apronounced movement to the artificial bait when being drawn throughwater.

Byv disposing the tail portion of the bait at any angle to thelongitudinal axis of the bait body by bending the axle between the bodyand tail as shown in Figure 2, the tail portion bodily moves in acircuitous path, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter ofthe bait body, creating the impression of a crippled fish for attractionpurposes, and also creating the effect of a fish laboring duringswimming movements. Crippled fish readily attract other fish, and bydisposing the tail portion at different angles, the crippled effect maybe varied as desired.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minorchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is 1. In an artificial bait, the combination witha body portion provided with an articulated member, of a power shaftjournaled in said body portion and operatively connected to saidarticulated member to cause the latter to describe an orbital path lyingvertical and transversely of the bait, upon rotation of the shaft. awater wheel secured on the shaft and operating to revolve it whenimmersed in a current of water or drawn through it, said body portionand articulated member being formed in the general outline of a fishwith the articulated member constituting the tail portion thereof, saidshaft embodying a rear end portion projecting beyond the rear end of thebody portion at an angle to the portion of the shaft journaled in saidbody portion and fixed to the articulated member.

2. In an artificial bait, wherein a bait body has a longitudinal shaftjournaled therein, said shaft extending beyond the rear end of the bodyand bent at an angle to said shaft, a tail secured to the bent end ofthe shaft, and means associated with the forward end of the shaft forrotating the same.

3. In an artificial bait, a body portion and a tail, a shaft journaledthrough the body portion and anchored in the tail, and means forrotating said shaft, that portion ofthe shaft within the tail disposedat an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to cause thetail to be constantly disposed at an angle to the body portion anddescribing an orbital path upon rotation of the shaft.

4. In an artificial bait, a bait body, a tail portion carried thereby,the connection between the bait body and tail portion including a shaft,and a propeller carried by the forward end of the shaft.

5. In an artificial bait, a bait body, a tail portion carried thereby,the connection between the bait body and tail portion including a shaftwith the rear end extending in the tall portion and disposed at an angleto that portion of the shaft in the bait body, and propeller meanssecured to the shaft.

6. In an artificial bait, a bait body, a tail portion carried thereby,the connection between the bait body and tail portion including a shaftjournaled in the bait body and having an angularly bent rear end fixedin the tail portion.

7. In an artificial bait, abait body, a tail portion carried thereby.the connection between the bait body and tail portion including a shaftjournaled in the bait body and having an angularly bent rear end fixedin the tail portion, and a propeller secured to the forward end of theshaft.

8. In an artificial bait wherein the same is constructed in a manner tocreate the impression of a crippled fish when in use, said of the shaft,a propeller associated with the forward end of the shaft, and said shaftbent between the body and tail portion to dispose the tail portion atthe desired angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bait body tocause the tail portion to travel in a 1cliripuitous path in simulationof a crippled 9. In an artificial bait, a bait body, a tail portionmovable relative to the body, and means for moving the tail portionrelatively to the body, the connection between the bait body and tailportion being constructed in a manner to cause the tail portion to movein a circuitous path, the diameter of which is greater than the diameterof the bait body.

10. In an artificial bait, the combination with a body portion having anarticulated member associated therewith, of a power shaft journaled insaid body portion and operatively connected to said articulated memberto cause the latter to describe an orbital path lying vertically andtransversely of the bait, upon rotation of the shaft, and a water w eelsecured on the shaft and operating to revolve it when immersed in acurrent of water or drawn therethrou h.

11. n an artificial bait, the combination with a body portion having anarticulated member associated therewith, of a power shaft journaled insaid body portion and operatively connected to said articulated memberto cause the latter to describe an orbital path lying vertically andtransversely of the bait, upon rotation of the shaft, a water wheelsecured on the shaft and operating to revolve it when immersed in acurrent of water or drawn therethrough, said body portion andarticulated member being formed in the general outline of a fish withthe articulated member constituting the tail portion thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BERT G. GOBLE.

